A defunct private college in Dixon, Illinois that operated from 1881 until after 1914.
Dixon College was incorporated in 1880 and opened on September 2, 1881, combining Dixon Business College with Northern Illinois Normal School, a teacher training institution. The school moved to purpose-built buildings on Hancock Street on Dixon's west side in 1882. Northern Illinois Normal School had been chartered by the state on April 18, 1872, and initially operated as the teacher training department of Rock River University. The college received its formal charter as Dixon College on June 3, 1901. By 1914, the college had been acquired by I. Frank Edwards, a former county superintendent of schools, and closed sometime after that date.
Dixon College advertised in 1903 that it taught "practically everything." By 1907, the institution operated under multiple names reflecting its diverse offerings: Northern Illinois College of Music, Northern Illinois College of Shorthand, Northern Illinois College of Telegraphy, Northern Illinois College of Art, Northern Illinois College of Law, Dixon School of Oratory, and Dixon Military College. The college was cited in the 1907 American Bar Association Annual Report as an example of institutions that "prostituted" academic degrees by requiring insufficient time for law degrees.
The college produced several notable graduates, including Davy Jones, a Major League Baseball player; Noah M. Mason, who served as a US Congressman; and Olaf M. Norlie, a pastor and academic.